In Lithuania, we reduced our daily hiking distance to 15-20 km and also had some rest days in Klaipeda. Rest days are important to get our “house” in order, i.e. to do laundry, buy articles we need for the trip and organize our data. Of course they also give our bodies some rest and we start the following hiking days in better shape. This time, however, they did not solve a problem José was experiencing, a strong pain in his foot after a certain distance of walking.
As we were hiking in the very popular coastal area and the Curonian Spit – a major tourist attraction – there was always enough offer of accommodation and restaurants. Prices were considerably higher, though, and required a bit more effort from our side to stay witin the budget.
In terms of nature, the Curonian Spit was the undisputed highlight of our hike in Lithuania. In this very small and limited area, there is an incredible variety of landscapes – dunes, forests, the lagoon, the sea – and animals. Our contact with local population was reduced to hotel and restaurant staff and was always positive. Most of the tourists are travelling by bike or car, so there was little chance to meet other people. On the other hand, we had our first meeting with our family since we started hiking; it was really great spending time with Thomas and Ines!